Pipelife wins major contract for water pipeline

Posted on 18, December 2012 by | This entry was posted in Austria, Business, Industrial, Infrastructure & Utilities. Bookmark the permalink.

–  Shell orders 27 km of special pipes for water pipeline from Pipelife

– Largest order since creation of the Soluforce business unit

– Wienerberger Group strategy for broader positioning and diversification confirmed

Vienna, 18-12-2012 — /europawire.eu/ — After successes in Ghana and Morocco, the Wienerberger subsidiary Pipelife, one of the leading producers of plastic pipe systems in Europe, is reporting a further record order. The Soluforce business unit, a segment for particularly resistant special plastic pipes, recently signed the largest contract since its founding – an approx. € 8 million order for 27 km of pipes from the energy corporation Shell for a high-pressure water pipeline.

Pipelife’s premium product Soluforce Heavy as decisive success factor

This order was won with Soluforce Heavy, the premium product in the high-pressure business unit. Soluforce Heavy is a special pipe reinforced with steel wire, which was developed especially for high-pressure water injection (saline). It is not only corrosion-resistant, but also resistant to other strong inorganic acids like hydrogen chloride, sulfuric acid and alkaline materials such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and ammonia solutions. This pipeline for enhanced oil recovery will be built by Shell to transport produced water over 27 km mainland under high pressure. “With this order, Pipelife has again underscored its expertise in a field where safety, know-how and reliability – in addition to a price that is very much in line with the market – are decisive. This success also represents a success for our strategy to broaden Wienerberger’s base through the acquisition of Pipelife“, indicated Wienerberger Chief Executive Officer Heimo Scheuch. The pipe system has a nominal pressure of 120 bar, which makes the Soluforce Heavy RTP with a design pressure of up to 150 bar the perfect choice for this project. In addition, an analysis of the water that will be transported in the pipeline revealed some corrosive elements – which will be effectively managed by the excellent properties of the Soluforce Heavy RTP and the use of swaged fitting systems made of rust-proof Duplex stainless steel.

Delivery scheduled for spring 2013

The Dutch subsidiary Pipelife Nederland B.V. will start production of the pipes at the beginning of next year, and the installation is scheduled for 2013. According to Shell, other projects with a similar magnitude are currently in the planning stage – and Pipelife is looking forward to further cooperation.

Sustainable confirmation of Group strategy – Pipelife brings broader strategic basis for Group’s future

Wienerberger made a central strategic investment with the acquisition of Pipelife in 2012. Together with Steinzeug-Keramo, the specialist for ceramic pipes, Semmelrock, the leading producer of concrete pavers in Central-East Europe and the core brick business, this transaction created a strong foundation to support the Group’s long-term positioning as a system provider. “We have created a structurally broad base for the future and reduced Wienerberger’s dependency on more volatile areas like new residential construction – and this latest major order in only a short period of time confirms our strategy“, added Scheuch.

Wienerberger with leading positions in bricks, roof tiles, concrete pavers and pipe systems

Wienerberger is the world‘s largest producer of bricks (Porotherm, Terca) and the market leader for clay roof tiles (Koramic, Tondach) in Europe and for concrete pavers (Semmelrock) in Central-East Europa. In pipe systems (Steinzeug-Keramo ceramic pipes and Pipelife plastic pipes), the company is one of the leading suppliers in Europe. In 2011 the Wienerberger Group generated revenues of € 1,915 million and operating EBITDA of € 240 million with 226 plants. Wienerberger completed the full takeover of Pipelife in May 2012 and thereby also took an important step to expand its core business.

Pipelife: leading producer of plastic pipe systems in Europe

Pipelife is one of the leading European producers of high-quality plastic pipes, pipe systems and fittings. The company operates 27 plants in Europe and the USA with 2,650 employees in 27 countries. The most important regions are Northern Europe, Benelux, France and Austria. The Pipelife product portfolio includes system solutions for sewage and rainwater management systems, building installations, drinking water supply, irrigation, energy supply and drainage as well as special products for industrial applications. Similar to Wienerberger, Pipelife also places a strong focus on the improvement and innovation of its product portfolio. In 2011, 20% of the company’s sales volumes represented products that were developed and launched during the past five years.

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Photo Soluforce Pipe

Photo Soluforce Pipe

For additional information contact:

Barbara Braunöck, Head of Corporate Communications

T +43 1 601 92 – 471 | communication@wienerberger.com

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